Microsoft has high hopes for Windows RT, clearly illustrated by its Surface tablet effort, but several major vendors are also said to be working on Windows RT gear.

According to the Chinese Economic Times, all major ARM chip vendors, namely Nvidia, Texas Instruments and Qualcomm, were allowed to pick two OEM partners for the initial launch. Qualcomm went for Samsung and HP, Nvidia tied the know with Lenovo and Asus, while Texas Instruments ended up with Toshiba, which sounds a bit like a shotgun wedding. However, HP decided not to do an ARM tablet for launch, so Qualcomm will get Dell instead.

Microsoft plans to lift OEM licensing restrictions next January, so smaller players could join the fray. Let’s just hope the consumers don’t end up ignoring Windows RT like Windows Phone, otherwise there really won’t be any need for anyone to enter the market next year.

More here. (via unwiredview)